Delivery-chute.



G. A. HIT'GHGOGL- DELIVERY GHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.24,190B.

9 0 9M 1B 9B 00 mm a" t n e LJ a P I [A;VNTOR. or z Mm. BY

A TTORNEY,

WITNESSES:

G. A. HITGHGOOK. v DELIVERY dHUTB. I APPLIOA'I'IOF FILED NOV. 24.1908.924,351 Patented June 8, 1909.

2 SPIRITS-SHEET 2'.

WITNESSES.-

[.VVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

GEORGE A. HITCHGOCK, OF WARE, MASSACHUSETTS DELIVERY-CHUTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1909.

Application filed November 24, 1908. Serial No. 464,255.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. HrroH- COOK, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Ware, in the county of Hampshire andState of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inDelivery-Chutes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in store service apparatus,particularly to that used inv grocery stores, and the object of theinvention is to provide convenient means for delivering different kindsof goods. to a central point in the distributing .or delivery part ofthe store, as for example where the goods or merchandise are stored inbulk on one floor of a building and it is desired to deliver the sameinpackage or sack form, or canned goods, to the delivery order counteron'another floor below the store-room.

The invention broadly consists in providing chutes inclined at asuitable angle to the horizontal and extending from the wrapping orassembling counter to-the delivery or 'or der counter, the lo'weriend ofthe same being provided with a suitable stop device for retaining thepackages in place in the chute, and at the same time permitting thelowermost package to be conveniently removed from the chute by theoperator.

The simplest form of stop in my device is a fixed or immovable one,other forms being provided as will be described in the body of thespecification, for accomplishing the same results.

By employing a plurality of chutes, I am enabled to arrange fortemporary storage, packages of merchandise of different materials, assalt, bea'ns, canned goods, sugar, etc., the chutes being refilled asthe demands of trade require, from time to time.

In the drawings forming. part of this application, Figure 1 is astructure showing a retarding device located near the lower end of thechute in addition to the fixed stop. Fig. 2 is a modification of theretarding device and shows additional means for permitting the deliveryof a single package from the chute, and at the same time retaining theothers in position in the'chute against movement. Fig. 3 is a furthermodification showing the means for ermitting the discharge of thelowermost pac age and at the same time holding back against movement theremaining packages, this form being designed for use Where the end ofthe chute is out of the reach of the operator. Fig. 4 is a modificationfor placing a frictional drag or retardation on several of the ackagesat one time, this form being used W ere it is'de sirable to have a chutethat is inclined its entire length, and Fig. 5 is an end view of theoutlet end of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail the structure shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings in which the chute h is arranged in an inclined position fromend to end, that is from the assembling counter g to the ordering anddistributing counter f. The packages therein are indicated by i.lhischute is provided with a fixed stop 1, and in addition a retardingdevice is employed which consists of a 'ece of flexible material is, ascanvas or eather, that is attached by its upper end to the upper wall ofthe chute, its lower end having connected thereto. a pull-cord m thatextends through eyelets 0.

p designates suitable weights that are attached to the flexible elementis and serve to exert a downward pressure on several of the packages atone time. These weights and the canvas thus ro'vide a frictionalresistance or drag against the downward movement of the column of thepackages above, but when it is desired to remove the lowermost package,as indicated at g, it is only necessary to disengage the same from thestop and lift the package through the opening a ove the stop and theroof of the chute, and thenby pulling the cord m, the frictional drag ofthe weights may be removed from the lower end of the column, when thesucceeding package will be moved by the force of gravity downwardagainst the stop 9'. By employing this frictional drag or retardingdevice the lowermost. ackage is prevented from being injured by t eWeight of the otherpackages above.

In the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 5, in which another form ofretarding device is em 'loyed for holding back the column of pac ages,and yet permitting the easy removal of the lowermost package, 1* des1gnates a rotatable rod longitudinally arran ed in the upper portion ofthe chute in suita 1e retaining devices, as shown at s, WhlCll may betermed the bearing boxes, the upper end of the rod being rovided with afinger or offset portion t, w ich normally rests upon a strip or boardathat 1s hinged at one end to the u per portion of the chute, as shown at'v. The lower end of the rod 1- is provided V with a depending arm :1:on which is mounted a roller 0 Attached to the lower end of the l arm atis the cord 2 which passes over a second roller 2. 3 designates a stoextending transversely across the end of t e chute but high enough fromthe bottom to permit a package to'pass thereunder. The 0 eration of thisform of my invention is as fo lows: When the cord 2 is pulled downward,the roller y is withdrawn away from the lowermost package, the stop 3preventing the roller 3 from lifting the package upward; at the sametime the finger t forces the strip or board it downward against thepackage immediately above the lower one, as indicated at 4., thusholding the column of packages against downward movement. U on releasingthe downward pull on the cor z the action of the retarding device iswithdrawn permitting the column of ackages to slide downward against therol er y, it being understood that when the roller y moves out of theath of the package, the same will readily fall onto the counter g orother suitable receiving device, or it can be taken fromthe chute by theoperator.

Referring to the construction shown in Fig. 3, for retarding thedownward movement of the packages, when it is desired to remove thelowermost one: 5 designates a right angle element that is hinged'at itsu per end to a second element 6 by means 0 a spring-hinge 7 whichnormally holds the elements 5 and 6 in a straight line. The upper end ofthe element 6 is pivotally connected at 8 to a board or rod 9 which, inturn, is pivoted to the upper portion'of the chute at 10. A cord 11passes over a pulley or other antifriction devlce. having one endattached to the part 5 and its other end depending in front or over thecounter g or extending to any other convenient point as occasion mayrequire, so that when the lower end 13 of the cord is pulled downwardthe depending portion 14 will be lifted to the dotted line osition 15permitting the package 16 to fal out from the lower end of the chute,and at the same time forcing the rod 9 and the upper end of the element6, by reason of the springhinge '7, into contact with the upper surfaceof the succeeding package 17, and temporarily holding the columnbackward against downward movement. As soon as the pull on the cord 1 1is released, the spring-hinge 7 will snap or move the parts 5, 6, and 9back to the full line position which will remove'the retarding effectand allow the'column to slide downward against the depending element 14.This modification is desi ned to be used where the end of the chute 1sout of the reach of the operator.

Referring to the modification shown in Fig. 4, in which a retardingdevice is employed: 21 designates a rod or bar extending over the topsof several packages and is pivotally connected to a series of links 22which are, in turn, pivotally connected to the roof of the chute at 23.Attached to the lower end of the rod or bar 21 is a wire or cord 24which extends through an eye 25, the lower end of the same being withineasy reach of the operator. The 0 eration of this device'acts normallyto hold Back the downward movement of the packages but at the same timepermits the operator to remove the lowermost ackage from the chute. Astop 26 is provi ed, as in the other forms, for checking the downwardmovement of the ackages. WVhen the cord 24 is pulled, the Frictionaldrag of the bar 21 is removed, or mitting the column of packages to side downward against the stop 26. The bar, like the rod 18, may extendthe entire length of the chute and be operable from the upper as well asthe lower end.

It is to be particularly understood that I do not limit myself to theemployment of my invention in grocery stores, ut the same is readilyadapted for widely different uses, and for different kinds ofmerchandise, nor do I limit myself to the particular form in crosssection of my chutes, as the same may be made in shapes other thanrectangular.

What I claim, is

1. A package delivering and storage device comprising a chute arrangedin an inclined position, the same being provided with means forretarding the movement of a column of packages, as described, said meansincluding a frictional drag arranged in the roof ortion of the chute andoperable from the elivery end of the chute.

2. In a delive' device for packages, the combination, wit a chute, afixed sto element located at the" delivery end of the chute, and meanslocated in the roof portion of the chute for simultaneously exerting africtional drag on a column of packages.

GEORGE A. HITCHCOCK.

Witnesses: K. I. CLEMoNs,

H. W. BOWEN.

